Joan Ann Domaleski of Cutchogue died on June 6, 2016 at San Simeon in Greenport. She was 83 years old.
She was born in Greenport on June 30, 1932 to Antone and Josephine (Bunczyk) Chituk of Depot Lane in Cutchogue. Her father was one of Southold Town’s first police officers, a turkey farmer and carpenter and her mother was a master gardener of dahlias and African violets. She was the oldest of four and the only daughter.
Shortly after graduation from Mattituck High School, she married Henry Domaleski on May 6, 1951 at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue. She lived her entire live in Cutchogue; growing up on Depot Lane in Cutchogue and later moving one mile north to Oregon Road once married.
Joan was a devoted homemaker and worked at A & H Domaleski Farms where they raised potatoes, cauliflower and cabbage and operated U Pick strawberry and pumpkin fields.
She was very active in the community and church as an organizer and project leader for several 4-H clubs; served on 4-H advisory committees including Awards and Rewards, Clothing Revue, Fundraising and was vice chairperson of 4-H Development Program Advisory Committee.
At Our Lady of Ostrabrama Parish, she was president of the Sacred Heart Rosary Society and organized biannual bake sales, Parish Polka Barn Dances and annual raffles. She prayed her rosaries every day and dedicated a day of the week to each of her children.
She was also a member of Mattituck Homemakers and the Farm Bureau and managed the “Grown on Long Island” tee shirts at fairs; rain or shine.
Joan’s public achievements included the Cornell Cooperative Extension Volunteer Award, Newsday Volunteer Winner and Saint Agnes Medal of Service for Diocese of Rockville Center.
Another passion was cooking and baking. She cooked Sunday dinner every week for the entire family on the scale of a big holiday meal. She would welcome any of the grandkids’ friends to the table – “just get another chair’ she would say. At Christmas time, she would start early in December, baking thousands of cookies just to make sure there was enough for all the holiday meals that she and her husband would have at their home.
Easter was another special time for her as she would hold egg hunts and have a particular color egg for each grandchild so everyone got their fair share. Lavish birthday parties for family and family pets were held as was a “Day after Christmas” celebration for the entire Chituk and Bunczak families.
Joan and her husband Henry shared a love for polka dancing which was evident by their car’s license plated which read “We Polka”. They attended many summertime Polkabrations in New London, Connecticut and became personal friends with Dick Pillar and the Polka Family bands. Because of this, she help organize many barn dances at June Glover’s Barn for Our Lady of Ostrabrama.
In addition to her husband of 65 years, she is survived by five children: Raymond (Elaine) Domaleski of Aquebogue, Virginia (Jerome) Surozenski of Cutchogue, Thomas (Barbara) Domaleski of Cutchogue, Theodore Domaleski of Bakersfield, California and Geraldine Domaleski of Cutchogue; grandchildren: Tenille (Anthony) Rodine, Jessica (Paul) Reeve, Allison Surozenski, Thomas, Jr., Meredith, John Henry and Brendan Domaleski, Eileen, Michael and Olivia Kennedy, Tabby (Stanley) Zombick and Lisa (Juan) Reeve and great-grandchildren: Aiden Tidwell, Ethan, Skye, Emma and Joan (namesake) Rodine, Cara and Caiden Zombick and Blake Alvarado; cousins: Jackie (Roanne) Adams of East Islip and Angela Deroski of Cutchogue; sisters-in-law Jane Domaleski of Cutchogue, Dolores Chituk of Riverhead and Dorothy and Henrietta Chituk of Cutchogue; nieces, nephews and her pets Buffy, Peanuts and Chester.
The family received friends at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck where prayer services were conducted by Father Peter Narkiewicz and members of the Sacred Heart Rosary Society. The Liturgy of Christian Burial was celebrated on at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church by Father Stan Wadowski and Father Peter Narkiewicz. Interment was in Sacred Heart R.C. Cemetery.
All the memories we have will be forever cherished. She brought us all together at her bedside of her last days. God took her from us before we were ready to let her go but she lived a fulfilling and giving life. We will be forever grateful for having such a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. We have great comfort in knowing that is now at peace with God. There was no one like her. She will be greatly missed and will live on in our hearts forever. If you want to do something in her memory – bake some cookies and share them with your family and friends, said family members.
Memorial donations to the Cutchogue Fire Department or American Diabetes Association would be appreciated.
